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Oregon's Congressmen Split On Debt Vote

Democrats Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer voted against it. Blumenauer said he didn’t like the brinksmanship of Tea Party-backed representatives.

“This empowers the most wreckless and extreme elements. Not just in the House Republicans today, but a blueprint for mischief for either party in the future,” Blumenauer said.

Blumenauer said the proposed budget cuts will weaken the nation’s economy at a time when it needs to be strengthened.

Republican Greg Walden voted in favor of the bill along with Democrats David Wu and Kurt Schrader.

The senate is expected to take up the legislation Tuesday.

Democrat Peter DeFazio voted against the bill. He called it a backroom deal that has no balance.

“There isn’t a single job in this package. The biggest problem in America, the greatest deficit we have is in job creation. If we could get back around 5 percent unemployment, guess what. Those people are working. They’re not drawing unemployment benefits… And a quarter of the deficit would go away with people working,” DeFazio said.